Grille or screen



June 8, 1965 G. BROWN GRILLE 0R SCREEN 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25,1962 INVENTOR. LEMUAL G. BROWN June 8, 1965 L. G. BROWN 3,1

' GRILLE OR SCREEN 7 Filed July 23, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

LEMUAL 6. BROWN INVENTOR.

,ZA/KW AGENT June 8, 1965 Filed July 23, 1962 L. G. BROWN 3,187,857

GRILLE 0R SCREEN 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

WKW

AGENT LEMUAL 6. BROWN United States Patent GRILLE 0R SCREEN Lemual G.Brown, P.0. Box 8777, Britton, Okla. Filed July 23, 1962, Ser. No.211,797

2 Claims. (Cl. 189-82) Many buildings are provided with cooling towersthrough which water is cooled for air conditioning systems while otherbuildings have ventilating or air exhaust openings in their walls. It isdesirable in such constructions to provide grilles or louvers to shadeand protect them for eflicient operation and to present a pleasingexternal appearance.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the instant invention toprovide a grille or screen which may be assembled for shading andprotecting structural elements.

Another object is to provide a grille which may be easily fabricatedfrom extruded easily assembled relatively simple parts so that anornamental effect may be produced.

Another object is to provide a grille formed of components which areeasily stacked for shipping and storing in a'relatively small area.

A further objectis to provide a device of this class which may be easilyassembled manually and which is sturdy and contains suflicient inherentrigidity to support its own weight and resist heavy wind or air pressurewithout collapsing.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by joining aseries of pairs of interlocking strips having parallelofE-set portionsheld in spaced relation by means of rigid clips having pairs of stripreceiving grooves arranged in parallel oil-set relation..- p

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when takenin conjunction with-the accompanying three sheets of drawings,'wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevationalview of the grille;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken sub stantially alongthe line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the grille clip;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the clip connected with pairs of thestrips; and

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures ofthe drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates a fragment of the assembled grillecomprising a series of rigid strips 12, 14, 16, etc., which are joinedand held in spaced relation by rigid clips 18 and 18a which aresubstantially-identical in shape and size. The strips 12, 14, 16 etc.,are identical being formed in cooperating sections or pairs. The pairsof strips 12 and 12a, for example, are substantially Z-shaped whenviewed edgewise (FIG. 5). The

3,187,857 Patented June 8, 1965 section 12 has opposingend portions 20and 20a (FIG. 5) disposed in parallel off-set relation which are joinedby an inclined portion 20b. Similarly the section 12a is provided withparallel off-set end portions 22 and 22a joined by an inclined portion22b. The combined width of the respective strip end portions 20-28:: and22-22a is substantially equal to the transverse width of the clips 18and 18a. The strips are preferably formed of extruded material cut to adesired width.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 5, the end portion 20 is provided with adepending angular inclined section 24 having an upper channel-likegroove 26 extending transversely of the inclined section 24 below theplane of the upper surface of the end portion 20 as viewed in FIG. 5.The free end edge portion 20a is provided with a depending transversehook-shaped edge 28 which is cooperatingly received within the groove 26and positions the upper surfaces of the end portions 20a and 22a, whenassembled, in a common plane.

As shown 'in FIG. 3, a typical clip 18 substantially defines a flattenedZ-shape in edge view, having a rectangular central section 30characterized by transverse extrusions 32 and 34 projecting outward fromopposing side surfaces of the ends of the section 30. The respectiveends of the section 30 are integrally connected to other similarrectangular sections 36 and 38 which extend .angularly outward therefromin parallel oil-set relation. Each section 36 and 38 form an obtuseangle with respect to the central section 30. The end edge of thesection 36 is provided with a transverse extrusion cooperatively alignedwith the extrusion 32 while the end edge of the section 38 is similarlyprovided with an extrusion 42 aligned with the extrusion 34. Theextrusions 32 and 40 are each undercut to .form aligned grooves 32a and40a, respectively. The extrusions 34 and 42 are similarly undercut, asat 34a and 42a, forming cooperating grooves in aligned relation. Theextrusions 32, 34, 40 and 42 may be described as having a'C-ishapedcrosssection.. .The sizeof the grooves with respect to'the thiclcnc'ssofthe pairs of strips 12, 14, 16 etc. is such that they snugly receive, insliding relation, opposing side 'edge portions of the parallel oil-setend edges of the strips. The clips are preferably formed of extrudedmaterial 'cut to a desired width.

As shown in the drawings, the aligned grooves 32a- 40a and 34a-42a,respectively, receive cooperating end portions of the pairs of strips.The pair of strips 12 and 12a, for example, are inserted into one of theclips 18 by manually sliding the cooperating end portions 20a and 2212into the grooves 34a and 42a wherein a beveled surface 29 of thehook-shaped end portion 28 is forced over a cooperating beveled surface31, formed on the edge section 24 wherein the hook-shaped end 28 isforming the respective groove (FIG. 5). Similarly other pairs of clips14 and 14a are inserted into the grooves 32 and 40a. As many of theclips 18 and 18a and pairs of strips 1242a and 14-1401 are assembled toform a grille of a desired size. The clips 13 and 18a arepreferablypositioned in inclined overlapping relation, as shown in FIG. 2, and thewidth of the pairs of strips is such that sunlight does not pass throughthe grille but is reflected therefrom yet assures adequate ventilationthrough the substantially octagonal shaped openings 50 defined by theassembled strips and clips.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alterationWithout defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to beconfined tothe preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and describedherein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A substantially Z-shaped clip comprising: 7

a rectangular central portion having first and second parallel edges;

a first rectangular arm projecting from said first edge and forming anobtuse angle with said central 'portion, said first arm being ofsubstantially the same size and shape as said central portion;

a second rectangular arm projecting from said second edge one side ofsaid central portion opposite the side from which said first armprojects, said second i arm forming an obtuse angle with said centralportion, and said second rectangular arm being of subtion; I I r a firstC-shaped projection formed on the line ofintersection between saidcentral portion and the first arm on the side of said intersectionopposite said obtuse angle, the C-shaped portion opening generallytoward, and diverging from the surface of, said central portion;

a second C-shaped projection formed on the line of intersection betweensaid central portion and the second arm on the side thereof oppositesaid obtuse angle formed between the second arm and said cenv tralportion, said C-shaped projection opening generally toward, anddiverging from the surface of, said central portion; a C-shapedprojection formed on' the free end of said first arm and opening towardsaid second C-shaped projection to form-therewith a pair of parallel C-shaped projections; and p a- C-shaped projection formed on the free'endofsaid stantially the same size and shape as said central porsecond armandopening toward said first C-shaped a plurality of elongated s'trips,each of said strips having portions disposed in parallel, off-setrelation to each other and spaced at horizontal intervals along thelength of the respective strips, and each of said portions havingopposing side edges; rigid Z-shaped clips positioned between, andengaging the opposing side edges of,vsaid parallel portions of saidstrips, each of said clips including:

a rectangular central portion having first and second parallel edges;

a first rectangular arm projecting from said first parallel edge andforming an obtuse angle with said central portion, said firstrectangular arm being generally of. the same size and of substantiallythe same shape as said central portion;

7 a second rectangular arm projecting from said second parallel edge oron the side of said central portion opposite the side from which saidfirst rectangular arm projects, said second rectangular arm formingianobtuse angle with said central portion, and said second rectangular armbeing of generally the same size and substantially the same shape assaid central portion;

a firstC-shaped projection formed on the line of intersection betweensaid central portion and the first rectangular arm on the side of saidintersection opposite said obtusetangle, said first C-shaped projectionopening generally toward, and diverging from the surface of, saidcentral portion; v

a second C-shaped, projection formed on the line of intersection betweensaid central portion and the second rectangular arm on the side thereofopposite said obtuse angle formed between said second rectangular armand said central portion, said second C-shapedprojection openinggenerally toward, and diverging from the surface of, said centralportion;

a C-shaped projection formed on the free end of said first rectangulararm and opening toward said second C-shaped projection to form therewitha pair of parallel C-shaped projections; and

a C-shaped projection forme'd on the free end of said secondrectangulararm and opening toward said first 'C-shaped projection toform therewith a pair of parallel, C-shaped projections.

References fited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 3,004,642 10/61Hallock r 139-82 CHARLES E. OCO NNELL, Primary Examiner. RICHARD W.COOKE, JR., Examiner.

1. A SUBSTANTIALLY Z-SHAPED CLIP COMPRISING: A RECTANGULAR CENTRALPORTION HAVING FIRST AND SECOND PARALLEL EDGES; A FIRST RECTANGULAR ARMPROJECTING FROM SAID FIRST EDGE AND FORMING AN OBTUSE ANGLE WITH SAIDCENTRAL PORTION, SAID FIRST ARM BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE ANDSHAPE AS SAID CENTRAL PORTION; A SECOND RECTANGULAR ARM PROJECTING FROMSAID SECOND EDGE ON A SIDE OF SAID CENTRAL PORTION OPPOSITE THE SIDEFROM WHICH SAID FIRST ARM PROJECTS, SAID SECOND ARM FORMING AN OBTUSEANGLE WITH SAID CENTRAL PORTION, AND SAID SECOND RECTANGULAR ARM BEINGOF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE AS SAID CENTRAL PORTION; AFIRST C-SHAPED PROJECTION FORMED ON THE LINE OF INTERSECTION BETWEENSAID CENTRAL PORTION AND THE FIRST ARM ON THE SIDE OF SAID INTERSECTIONOPPOSITE SAID OBTUSE ANGLE, THE C-SHAPED PORTION OPENING GENERALLYTOWARD, AND DIVERGING FROM THE SURFACE OF, SAID CENTRAL PORTION; ASECOND C-SHAPE PROJECTION FORMED ON THE LINE OF INTERSECTION BETWEENSAID CENTRAL PORTION AND THE SECOND ARM ON THE SIDE THEREOF OPPOSITESAID OBTUSE ANGLE FORMED BETWEEN THE SECOND ARM AND SAID CENTRALPORTION, SAID C-SHAPED PROJECTION OPENING GENERALLY TOWARD, ANDDIVERGING FROM THE SURFACE OF, SAID CENTRAL PORTION; A C-SHAPEDPROJECTION FORMED ON THE FREE END OF SAID FIRST ARM AND OPENING TOWARDSAID SECOND C-SHAPED PROJECTION TO FORM THEREWITH A PAIR OF PARALLELCSHAPED PROJECTIONS; AND A C-SHAPED PROJECTION FORMED ON THE FREE END OFSAID SECOND ARM AND OPENING TOWARD SAID FIRST C-SHAPED PROJECTION TOFORM THEREWITH A PAIR OF PARALLEL ZSHAPED PROJECTIONS.